They met in Excelsior

Are we in over our heads?

The group arrives at Trollstone, the Orc Warchief Archon’s stronghold. Friar Duck acquires a Grummesh trinket that he displays on his body. The group is creeped out by some strange stone statues that surround Archon’s great hall. Different figure all seeming captured in stone at a moment where they were in shocked desperation, trying to look away. Many figures are gnomes. The 4 halflings, Hans, Frans and the party all get an audience with Archon, who’s entourage include 3 priests of Grummesh and 12 orc warriors with great axes.
After much haggling, things go awry as Archon learns that his garden gnomes have been stolen at the same time that Brenda’s gnome traveling companion cannot be found. Enraged, Archon and his entourage attack. After a fight where the party barely survives, Archon is finally felled. The remaining orcs decide to back down. Brenda finishes making the deal and the party makes a small fortune as a result of the new negotiations.

Dunk the monk and a mysterious book

After an uneventful 8 days on the road, the group has a stop over at the Whitwind Monastery and are greeted by Abbot Merkins. Orsik, ‘Hama and Sarlock head for the Library while Maya, Friar Duck and Merla head for the drinking hall, The Monks of Whitwind have a special brew to be tasted. Merla lends the Friar enough gold so he can buy into a game of “Dunk the Monk.” which involves keeping a Whitwind monk from getting to the end of an obstacle course by shooting arrows at targets that force the monk to drop into the water. Friar Duck prevails and earns a Wand of detect magic in the process (word).
Meanwhile, the nerds come across a secret book that they are told not to open near still water or fire. After getting back no the road, the group opens the book to find a ship captains log of what appears to be the voyage that the halfling culture believes first brought halflings to the land. This is very interesting because the current day’s level of science has not yet achieved knowledge of any other continents (or that the world is round for that matter).

Getting the next gig

The party defends back into town where the town leader invites them to party down on the house. Sarlock and ‘Hamma ( The dwarf cleric’s who’s clan name is BattleHammer) decide to visit the town’s hermit for more information regarding the Barrier. All she can say is that the barrier is found on the Kaladan plateau, but recommends they research the topic further at a larger city’s library. The rest of the party meets various townsfolk, of which many are interested in enticing the party in helping them on their own personal endeavors.

A archeologist wants the group to sail a boat to a far away land to explore. A disgruntled aristocrat wants the group to help him secure his rightful position. Instead of these offers, the group decides to latch onto a caravan of Halflings as a security detail. Brenda, and her 3 sisters (Bertha, Bethany and Martha) set off with a reclusive gnome, 2 lifters (Hans and Frans) and the party on route to an Orc Warload’s stronghold, to deliver black velvet paintings of orcs painted as clowns, crying. Brenda will provide room and board and pay 5gp a day to each member of the party.

The beginning of something great

Our Heroes met in the humble town of Excelsior, hired by a Dragonborn sorcerer to investigate some Stone Giant activity from the nearby mountain range. Soon after meeting the sorcerer, the group helps and heals a townie who’s leg gets trapped under a boulder. The party follows the boulder up to the mountains where they encounter and quickly dispatch groups of kobolds. Eventually, Silverstrand the rogue finds a secret passage to a large room where a stone giant is being help captive by a large number of kobolds.
The kobolds are dispatched, largely from a sleep spell from Sarlock which earned him an inspiration point. Friar Duck joins the party with a splash by charging the green dragon armorless with no weapons but a piece of wood. and The party gains 2 magic swords and a healing potion each. Soon after, a green dragon attacks. It is killed by the party working in conjunction with the stone giant. But not before the dragon calls the party fools and accuses them of performing actions that are weakening the Barrier (an invisible force field to the North that can only be traversed by a full-grown dragon).
The party learns the giant is the last of his tribe, the rest having fallen victim to ritual sacrifice by the dragging Poisonfang and his army of kobolds. The giant leave the area to move to other parts of the mountain range, in hopes of meeting more of his kind.